The present invention relates to a package support member for a light-emitting element, and more particularly to a package support member for a light emitting diode (LED).
A light emitting diode is a bonded diode mainly consisting of multiple layers of p-type crystals and multiple layers of n-type crystals formed on a substrate to provide a semiconductor. After the multi-layer crystalline structure of the diode is formed, it is cut into small dies that are then fixed onto a flat member. The small dies are subjected to wire bonding and then packaged to form an LED bulb.
There are various kinds of light emitting diodes that are employed in a variety of applications and have become an important and necessary item in the modern life. Light emitting diodes are normally used as illuminating and warning devices. When the light emitting diode converts electric power into light to achieve the illuminating or warning function, it generates heat and results in rise of temperature thereof. The light emitting diode has a brightness that reduces by 0.9% when the temperature of the light emitting diode rises by 1xc2x0 C. From this fact, it can be seen how important a temperature-rise effect is to the brightness of the light emitting diode. It is therefore an important issue to effectively remove heat from the light emitting diode to maintain the latter at a desired brightness.
There has never been any effective heat-removing means or structure for a support member of a light-emitting element in the form of a light emitting diode. Thus, the light-emitting element tends to have reduced brightness and shortened usable life after being used for a period of time due to the high temperature rise of the light-emitting element.
There are generally two types of packages for the light-emitting element, namely, a frame-type and a COB-type package. In the frame-type package, the package support member is unable to support a big-size light-emitting element. And, in the COB-type package, the support member is unable to support a high-power light-emitting element. Therefore, both the conventional frame-type and COB-type packages are not suitable for supporting the light-emitting elements that have big size and high power for use, for example, with a traffic light.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a package support member with high heat-removing ability to effectively reduce the temperature rise of a light-emitting element packaged therein and accordingly maintain the brightness and usable life of the light-emitting element.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package support member with high heat-removing ability for packaging a light-emitting element. The support member includes a plurality of alternately disposed thermally and electrically conducting layers and insulating layers. A plurality of through holes are irregularly provided on the support member to serve as venting and heat-dissipating holes. With temperature differences among the venting and heat-dissipating holes that have different heat accumulating and dissipating abilities, minor turbulent airflows are produced in the support member to naturally dissipate the heat produced by the light-emitting element without using additional external heat-radiating means. The light-emitting element therefore has a reduced temperature rise to maintain its brightness and usable life.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package support member with high heat-removing ability for packaging a light-emitting element. The support member includes a plurality of alternately disposed thermally and electrically conducting layers and insulating layers. The support member is provided at a top with a cup-shaped recess, in which a light-emitting element is packaged. The recess provides good bearing environments for the light-emitting element, and the problem with the general frame-type package support member of being unable to bear a big-size light-emitting element and the problem with the general COB-type package of being unable to bear a high-power (that is, big current) light-emitting element all can be overcome.
In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package support member with high heat-removing ability for packaging a light-emitting element. The support member includes a plurality of alternately disposed thermally and electrically conducting layers and insulating layers. The support member is provided at a top with a cup-shaped recess, in which a light-emitting element is packaged. The recess includes a bearing bottom surface having an even coarseness to facilitate stable positioning of the light-emitting element therein. The light-emitting element disposed in the recess does not tip over and an image thereof could be more easily captured to enable upgraded production efficiency thereof.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package support member with high heat-removing ability for packaging a light-emitting element. The support member includes a plurality of alternately disposed thermally and electrically conducting layers and insulating layers. The support member is provided at a top with a cup-shaped recess, in which a light-emitting element is packaged. The recess includes a curved inner wall surface capable of total reflection of light emitted from the light-emitting element, so that the recess could focus and then evenly scatters parallel light to increase usable light quantity and avoid diffusion and diffraction of the light source.